Last week I was a tourist in my own town, while I took my sister and her family around Newcastle, KZN, South Africa. Since I am good friends with the museum curator he took us on a personal tour of Fort Amiel Museum, and even though I have done the tour a couple of times, I still enjoy it, as there are always new things to notice. This is part of a series of 6 focusing on different areas of the Fort. Scroll to the bottom of this article for a brief history of the Fort.
The Cook House
These photos are pretty self-explanatory. This was the kitchen that catered to the troops. Inside is a treasure trove of vintage kitchenalia, some of it a little more modern than the period the Fort was operational. Many of the items were found in and around Newcastle, especially the glass bottles. The slits in the walls behind the bottles was for rifles, reminding us of the purpose of this Fort!
I love the original mud brick floor! I think the glass windows are original too.
An old noticeboard with some of the original papers from the Fort. I have to add that the Cook House is the most haunted building on the Fort premises. Maybe it is the spirit of the cook who had to cook those meals in our sweltering heat! When my daughter held her yoga classes at the fort, we really didn't enjoy driving past it on our way out in the dark!!! My one son said it made him feel nauseous to be in the building and I felt a pressure in my head, like I was holding my breath under water.
Fort Amiel History
Fort Amiel was built in 1876 by the British as a military stronghold and a signalling station. It played a significant role in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, as well as the First Anglo-Boer War of 1881. It usually housed about 200 troops, but swelled to as many as 1500 troops in 1881. By 1882, all the outlying buildings, vehicles and supplies were auctioned off, including a large selection of liquor! Today only the centre part of the Fort remains, and was restored in the 1990's to house a cultural history museum. When the Second Anglo-Boer War broke out in 1899 the British decided to abandon Newcastle altogether, as it being the northernmost town of the Natal Colony, it was deemed to be too close to the Boer Republics. Newcastle was shortly thereafter invaded by the Boer forces, and the Fort was occupied by the Hollander Commando. Newcastle was briefly renamed Viljoensdorp during this period. Newcastle was retaken by the British seven months later, with much pomp and ceremony! Fort Amiel is a popular stopover on South Africa's famed Battlefields Route.
When I was a child I had a friend who lived near to the Fort and it had not yet been restored. It was one of our favourite places to play! Just last year, the museum curator kindly allowed my daughter to hold her yoga classes in the canteen (which has not yet been fully restored) until she outgrew the place. On a quiet day, looking out to the surrounding hills, the history seems almost tangible!
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